What happened: A Riviera Beach man was taken into custody on arson and trespassing charges after police said surveillance video showed him setting two fires on a business property he had been warned to stay away from.
Background: Haytham Khalafallah, 51, is charged with second-degree arson and trespass after warning, according to a Riviera Beach Police Department probable-cause affidavit. Police responded to the business after an employee reported that someone who had previously been barred from the property entered after hours and intentionally set items on fire, the affidavit said.
Officers reviewed surveillance video and identified Khalafallah, police said. The affidavit states officers had encountered Khalafallah the day before the reported fire and that a sergeant personally trespassed him from the property.
Despite that warning, police said video showed Khalafallah returning through a side gate. He was accused of gathering materials, placing them on the hood of a business-owned Toyota Camry and setting them on fire.
Authorities said Khalafallah then removed plastic vehicle parts, wood and other materials from a business-owned Toyota Tacoma and started a second, larger fire near the property line. Video allegedly showed him lighting a dead palm frond, causing the fire to grow.
Authorities said Khalafallah left as they extinguished the flames.
The available details are limited to the information verified at publication time. Readers should expect updates as the matter develops.
Any person identified in connection with an alleged offense is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Source: official sources including CBS12 News.
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